A bill to give the Information and Communications Technology minister unrestricted power to shut down pornographic and anti-monarchy websites is expected to be tabled next month by the military-appointed National Legislative Assembly.
IT law expert Paiboon Amonpinyokeat told a seminar on Internet censorship that the law would equip the ICT minister with the legal muscle to deal with wayward websites. The government currently has to go through the Council for National Security and seek cooperation from Internet service providers to block websites with offensive content.
However, the Cyber Crime Bill clearly would stipulate a procedure for the ICT Ministry to shut down or block websites deemed damaging to society and state security, said Paiboon, a partner at Gilberte, Reed & Co law firm.
Under article 17 of the bill, the ICT minister could seek court approval to shut down undesirable websites. It would be the first time Thailand had a legal tool to deal with the problem, he said.
Paiboon recommended that self-regulation among "netizens" and "Net operators" should be promoted along with the new law.
Jittat Fakcharoenphol, a lecturer at Kasetsart University's computer engineering department, suggested there were ways to deal with issues disturbing to society. "We should not think only about the law, but about applicable technology when we want to block undesirable websites to prevent indecent content like pornography from reaching minors," he said. Proactive measures through sensible technology could be a more effective tool in blocking websites, he added.
C.J. Hinke, a representative from Freedom Against Censorship Thailand, said 1,279 books were banned in Thailand between 1850-1998, mostly in an attempt to suppress communism. Hinke said the "Lese Majeste law has become a powerful tool for authorities to enforce censorship, despite the fact that books and films with content critical of the monarchy do not change the truth about the good things His Majesty the King has done for the country."
"I think Thai authorities should stop treating people like children and allow discussion among ourselves so we can really debate and become an informed society," he continued.
Thanapol Eawsakul, editor of Fah Diew Gan magazine, said Thai society would take a similar path to Singapore's if it were to use self-censorship as a principle.
